TEXAS LEGISLATURE: Special session costs run in the millions

AUSTIN — The first special session of this year's Legislature cost taxpayers between $1 million and $1.2 million extra, of which almost $700,000 went to lawmakers alone, not including expenses yet to be claimed.

And that doesn't include the second special session underway now.

In the first called special session, Gov. Rick Perry started lawmakers out with considering redistricting. Halfway through, Perry added abortion, juvenile justice and transportation to "the call," the list of subjects the governor can call upon lawmakers to consider.

A special session lasts a maximum of 30 days, but it can end as soon as lawmakers finish handling all matters on the call. The first special session this year, however, went right down to the wire and left unfinished business in its wake, concluding with a now famous filibuster by Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, that stopped an anti-abortion bill and consequently the juvenile justice and transportation bills that were lined up behind it.

There are 182 people who receive the per diems: 150 House members, 31 senators and the lieutenant governor. The salary is set by the Texas Constitution, and the per diem amount comes from the Texas Ethics Commission.

Lawmakers can choose not to take a per diem, or they can choose to take only part of a per diem.

The full House met only nine days out of the full 30. House members also worked certain days in their respective committees.

"Please do not provide me with my 83rd 1st Called Special Session per diem payment for the dates of June 5, 2013 through June 16, 2013. I would like to resume payment on June 17, 2013," a letter from Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, states.

Rep. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, asked not to be paid from June 12-16 because he was in the district meeting with constituents on local matters.

Rep. Susan King, R-Abilene, did not submit a request to not receive a per diem. She said such an option wasn't brought to her attention, and it didn't seem like a typical move to make.

She said she wouldn't have any problem not receiving a per diem when appropriate, and in the past she has given back $36,000 in unused office budget money.

Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, said he hadn't requested to not receive a per diem, either, but that was because he hadn't missed a day of legislative work. He said he calculated recently that in the 200 days since the session started, he had been home about 21 days.

Rep. J.M. Lozano, R-Kingsville, also said he didn't know that requesting not to receive a per diem was an option.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, president of the Senate, declined all per diems, as did Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, and Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin.

All the other senators received a full or partial per diem.

Overall, the total Senate per diem cost was $107,250, and the total House cost was $582,300.

Further costs can include everything from turning the temperature down in the Capitol building, having extra security on hand, and printing and staff costs, bringing the possible price of a full 30-day special session to $1 million to $1.2 million, said John Barton, a spokesman for staff at the Legislative Budget Board, a state government agency that analyzes costs for legislation and the budget.

Security, in particular, has increased during the present, second special session. Dewhurst said during the abortion bill signing this week that more than 250 people had been called in for security during the last vote on the bill in the Senate, a reaction to the fate of the bill in the first special session, when an unruly crowd, angered by senators' efforts to end Davis' filibuster, prevented the Senate from voting within the session deadline.

A precise figure for a special session is hard to pin down, Barton said.

"You're not able to get to an exact cost," he said.

Matthew Waller covers the Legislature for Scripps Newspapers and works in Austin. Contact him at mwaller@gosanangelo.com, or follow him on Twitter @waller_matthew.